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- Dictionarymaternal/məˈtəːnl/
adjective
- 1. relating to a mother, especially during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth: "maternal care" Similar Opposite
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May 4, 2022 · Maternal describes things related to a mother or motherhood. Paternal describes things related to a father or fatherhood. Sometimes, they mean motherly and fatherly, as in phrases like maternal/paternal instincts.
The meaning of MATERNAL is of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother : motherly. How to use maternal in a sentence.
MATERNAL definition: 1. behaving or feeling in the way that a mother does towards her child, especially in a kind…. Learn more.
MATERNAL meaning: 1. behaving or feeling in the way that a mother does towards her child, especially in a kind…. Learn more.
Maternal is used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of those of a kind mother towards her child. She had little maternal instinct. Her feelings towards him were almost maternal.
Relating to or characteristic of a mother or motherhood; motherly: maternal instinct. 2. Inherited from one's mother: a maternal trait. 3. Related through one's mother: my maternal uncle. [Middle English, from Old French maternel, from Medieval Latin māternālis, from Latin māternus, from māter, mother; see māter- in Indo-European roots.]
If you are maternal, you are like a mother. How you define what it is to be “like a mother” is up to you, but most people think of nurturing things like chicken soup and kisses on the forehead. The adjective maternal comes from the Latin maternus, which means “of a mother.”
MATERNAL meaning: 1. like a mother: 2. A maternal relation is part of your mother's family: . Learn more.
Maternal definition: of, pertaining to, having the qualities of, or befitting a mother. See examples of MATERNAL used in a sentence.
What does the word maternal mean? There are 12 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word maternal, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. How common is the word maternal? How is the word maternal pronounced? Where does the word maternal come from?
